Franklin High junior Niya Thomas often shares her feelings with mom Neffertiti Thomas, including how she felt about a school covenant that had been given only to black students to sign.

"I don't think they read that letter feeling encouraged, uplifted at all," said Neffertiti Thomas. "They walked away feeling like I can't do enough, I still didn't make it."

The covenant titled "Keepin' it 100" asked that 'African American scholars' pledge to be on time to school, complete high school, and hold themselves to meet high expectations. They might all be good points, but students say shouldn't have singled out one group.

"Every student counts in the school, I feel like if you gave it to one culture, you should have given it to the others as well," said Niya Thomas.

"We were upset because the whole 12th grade class got the paper but it was supposed to be for us," said senior Bazia Potts. "I know I felt embarrassed and my peers felt embarrassed as well."

Potts said she was so offended she and others threw it away.

"They threw it in the garbage; they were angry; they threw it away," said Potts.

Seattle Public Schools issued a statement saying it is committed to eliminating opportunity gaps but says the covenant has been discontinued after it proved to be "a distraction" from the original intent to support African-American students.

Here is the school district's full statement:

"Seattle Public Schools is committed to eliminating opportunity gaps and accelerating learning for each and every student.

"A student covenant was recently created by staff at Franklin High School. After meeting with senior students, Franklin staff discontinued the covenant as it proved to be a distraction from their original intent which is to increase efforts and support for African American students and ensure college readiness.

"In addition, a parent/community advisory group is under development to increase the school's collective wisdom, inform their practices and build capacity to reach the goal of 100% of African American students college ready."

Parents say while they appreciate the effort, they believe there's a better way.

"It felt like these African-American students weren't good enough, that they didn't somehow make the mark, that part was hurtful because we all want to send a positive message to our students," said Neffertiti Thomas.

We talked to members of the Black Student Union at Franklin High; they tell me there's a meeting with the principal after school on Thursday to discuss the issues.

Seattle Public Schools also says it will put together a parent/community advisory group to try to find a better way to bridge the opportunity gap.

Related: See children involved in protests over race relations:

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Children caught up in race relations, political protests

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Children caught up in race relations, political protests

Eight year-old Angelo Estes Jr. calls for the arrest of Officer Betty Shelby, who shot dead unarmed motorist Terence Crutcher, with other protesters outside the Tulsa Police headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. September 20, 2016. REUTERS/Nick Oxford TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Malakai McCoy, age 3 years, gets a touch-up from his mother Maybelline McCoy as he and his sister Amayah McCoy hold a sign next to their baby stroller during the 'Our Generation, Our Choice' protest in downtown Washington November 9, 2015. The Monday march to highlight race, climate, and immigration issues was timed to mark exactly one year until the 2016 U.S. presidential election, according to protesters. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

UNITED STATES - JULY 25: A boy bikes with a march made up of mostly Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Broad St., en route to the security perimeter of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on the first day of the Democratic National Convention, July 25, 2016. The march ended near FDR Park and featured demonstrators supporting a variety of issues. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2015/11/22: Kids with Tamir Rice signs. Stop Mass Incarcerations Network sponsored a children's march demanding accountability on the one year anniversary of Tamir Rice's death at the hands of the Cleveland police. (Photo by Andy Katz/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2016/01/18: Trio of young protesters with hand-lettered sign. Hundreds of Brooklyn residents gathered in Bay Ridge at the site of an alleged bias attack for a march entitled 'Muslims Our Neighbors' in support of Bay Ridge's Islamic community. (Photo by Andy Katz/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2016/02/20: Asian girls with hand-lettered signs in support of Peter Liang. Dozens of activists associated with Black Lives Matter demonstrated in opposition to a massive rally staged by the coalition against Asian discrimination in support of convicted NYPD officer Peter Liang. (Photo by Andy Katz/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES - 2016/01/15: A child among the demonstrators waives an Oromian flag. Several hundred Ethiopian-American demonstrators from around the U.S. gathered opposite United Nations Headquarters in New York City to express their anger over the recent deaths of over 140 protesters in Ethiopia at the hands of government security forces sent to contain the protests over the Addis Abba 'master plan.'. (Photo by Albin Lohr-Jones/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES - 2016/07/17: Eric Garner's infant daughter Legacy Garner holds a sign bearing the name of Officer Panataleo. On the second anniversary of the death of Eric Garner during his attempted arrest by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, Black Lives Matter coalition members and supporters gathered at the site of his death on Bay Street and then marched on to the 120th Precinct of the NYPD intermittently practicing civil disobedience as NYPD Community Affairs officers attempted to regulate the march, in Tompkinsville, Staten Island. (Photo by Albin Lohr-Jones/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES - 2016/02/25: Little protester with elephant sign. Animal care activists gathered in front of Barclay's Center to protest on the opening night of Ringling Brothers' circus against the circus use and treatment of animals in the show. (Photo by Andy Katz/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

DAG HAMMARSKJOLD PLAZA, NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES - 2016/05/01: Members of the metro-area Syrian-American community rally for the ouster of Bashar Al-Assad. An ad hoc collective of Syrian-Americans and supporters from New York and New Jersey held a rally in Dag Hammarskjold Skjold Plaza near United Nations Headquarters in solidarity with similar protests worldwide on May Day to draw attention to as-yet failed attempt to impose a ceasefire in Syria and demand the immediate ouster of the Syrian Arabic Republic's President Bashar Al-Assad. (Photo by Albin Lohr-Jones/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)